Man Arrested for Attempted Murder by Poison

San Rafael, CA – September 24, 2012. A San Jose man was arrested late Saturday for the poisoning and attempted murder of his girlfriend, who is a patient in a San Rafael care facility.

A manager of the Northgate Care Center, 40 Professional Center Parkway, called SRPD at 10:00 a.m. on Friday to report the possible poisoning of a patient. Nurses had noticed that a patient’s boyfriend was bringing in bottled water for her to drink, and had installed a mini-refrigerator in her room to store multiple bottles of the liquid. The water in the bottles was discolored and smelled like bleach. A staff member did a preliminary test of the fluid and the result indicated the presence of chlorine. Officers also conducted a preliminary test on a sample of the water at a pool supply company. That sample tested positive for a high percentage of chlorine and the company representative said the amount would be considered hazardous and not safe for swimming, much less drinking.

The victim, a 63 year-old woman, told investigators that the water contained vitamins and minerals and that her boyfriend told her it was good for her. He prepared the mixture and brought it to her with instructions to drink four ounces every hour and she has been following his instructions for the past couple of weeks. The victim was taken to the emergency room as a precaution and has since returned to the care facility.

On Saturday afternoon detectives contacted Robert Lewis Lochridge at his home in San Jose. He was cooperative and accompanied them back to San Rafael for an interview. Lochridge, 67, was later booked at Marin County Jail for attempted murder, poisoning by altering food or drink, and cruelty to a dependent adult causing great bodily injury. His bail was set at $500,000 and his first court appearance is scheduled for Tuesday, September 25th at 9:00 a.m.

The investigation is continuing and anyone with information is asked to contact Det.Justin Graham at 415.485.3000.